Reference is made to a pending utility application Serial No. 06/698,416 entitled PUSH BUTTON OPERATORS FOR LATCHES AND LOCKS, AND LOCKING SYSTEMS EMPLOYING LOCKABLE PUSH BUTTON OPERATORS filed Oct. 27, 2000 by Lee S. Weinerman et al, which discloses a plural-point tool box locking system that employs a set of rod-like links that interconnect a spaced array of slam-capable latch assemblies that can be operated by either of a pair of remotely located push-button operating devices, referred to hereinafter as the xe2x80x9cPush Button Lock System Case,xe2x80x9d the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a highly versatile slam capable latch mechanism that can be operated by one or more adjacent and/or remotely located operating devices to release a striker that is engaged by the latch mechanism when latched; that can be directly attached to an operating device such as a paddle handle carried in a flush mountable, pan shaped housing to provide a xe2x80x9cstand alonexe2x80x9d latch assembly for receiving and releasably retaining a single striker; that can be connected by one or more rod-like links to one or more remotely located operating devices such as push button assemblies (for example, the push button assemblies that are disclosed in the referenced Push Button Lock System Case); that can be connected by rod-like links to other similar latch mechanisms each arranged to receive and releasably retain a separate striker to provide a slammable xe2x80x9cplural pointxe2x80x9d latching system; and wherein a selected one of the various types of operating devices that may be connected to a latch system that includes one or more of the latch mechanisms can be provided with a key operated lock to xe2x80x9clockxe2x80x9d the system so as to disable all of the operating devices of the system from unlatching all of the latch mechanisms of the system, with the xe2x80x9clockingxe2x80x9d of the system doing nothing to defeat the ability of the latch mechanisms of the system to be slammed into retaining engagement with their associated strikers.
In one typical use, one or more of the slam capable latch mechanisms are mounted on the side or end walls of a tool box for releasably retaining a corresponding number of lid-mounted strikers (each associated with a different one of the latch mechanisms) that may be slammed into engagement with the latch mechanisms by closing the lid, wherein one or more operating devices are provided for operating the latch mechanisms, with spaced ones of the latch mechanisms and operating devices being connected by linkage that enables each of the operating devices to unlatch all of the latch mechanisms from their associated strikers, and with a key operated lock preferably being connected to a selected one of the operating devices that, when locked, will serve to prevent all of the operating devices from operating any of the latch mechanisms without defeating the capability of any of the latch mechanisms to be slammed into retaining engagement with their associated strikers when the lid of the tool box is closed.
2. Prior Art
Latch mechanisms are known that define openings or receiving channels adapted to receive suitably configured strikers that are releasably retained in the openings or channels by hook-shaped arms that pivot to grasp the strikers as they enter the openings or receiving channels. It also is known to attach latch mechanisms of this type to operating devices that include flush mountable, pan shaped housings that nest operating handles that can be moved from non-operated to operated positions to operate (i.e., to xe2x80x9cunlatchxe2x80x9d) the latch mechanisms. Latch mechanisms of this type connected to operating devices of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,984,383 and 5,042,853, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Moreover, it is known to utilize rod-like links to interconnect two or more of the latch mechanisms of the general type described above to provide a plural-point latch system wherein each of the latch mechanisms is associated with and adapted to receive and releasably retain a separate striker, and wherein one or more remotely located operating devices such as push button assemblies are provided to concurrently operate (i.e., to concurrently xe2x80x9cunlatchxe2x80x9d) all of the linkage connected latch mechanisms from their associated strikers. Latch systems of this type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,816,630 and 5,308,126, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, and in the referenced Push Button Lock System Case.
The present invention provides a slam capable latch mechanism that can be operated by one or more adjacent and/or remotely located operating devices to release a striker from latched engagement; that can be directly attached to an operating device such as a flush-mountable paddle handle assembly to provide a xe2x80x9cstand alonexe2x80x9d latch; that can be connected by one or more rod-like links to one or more remotely located operating devices such as push button assemblies; that can be connected by rod-like links to other similar latch mechanisms each arranged to be slammed into engagement with a different striker to provide a xe2x80x9cplural pointxe2x80x9d latching system.
Where features of the present invention are combined to provide a locking system, at least one of the various types of operating devices that may be connected to the system for operating one or a plurality of latch mechanisms is provided with a key operated lock to permit the system to be locked and unlocked for operation.
One aspect of the invention relates to the provision of an improved latch assembly that can be remotely operated, or that can be attached to an operating assembly such as a flush-mountable housing and handle assembly. The latch assembly preferably includes a frame formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat base portion that extends within a first plane, and having a pair of formations that extend away from the base portion in a plane that substantially parallels the first plane to define first and second arms that define a striker receiving channel between opposed portions of the first and second arms. The latch assembly also includes means for defining a generally cylindrical mounting pin that is connected to and extends away from the flat base portion along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane; an operating arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat central region positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat base portion of the frame, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat central region through which the mounting pin extends to connect the operating arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis; means for defining a limited range of permitted relative pivotal movement that can take place between the operating arm and the frame including first and second spaced-apart stop formations defined by a selected one of the frame and the operating arm, and a stop engageable formation defined by the other of the frame and the operating arm that is configured to engage the first stop formation at one end of said range of movement, and to engage the second stop formation at the other end of said range of movement; a latch arm formed as a one-piece stamping from sheet metal and having a relatively flat portion positioned to closely overlie the relatively flat central region of the operating arm, with a hole being formed through the relatively flat portion through which the mounting pin extends to connect the latch arm and the frame for relative pivotal movement about said axis, with the latch arm defining a hook-shaped formation at a location spaced from said axis, with the hook-shaped formation having a first surface configured to be engaged by a striker that is moving along a path of travel into the striker receiving channel to cause pivotal movement of the latch arm in one direction of rotation about said axis to pivot the hook-shaped formation out of said path of travel, and with the hook-shaped formation also having a second surface configured to retain the striker within the striker receiving channel once the hook-shaped formation has pivoted in a direction of rotation opposite to said one direction to position the second surface to block withdrawal of the striker from the channel; means for permitting the latch arm to move in said one direction of rotation without causing corresponding pivotal movement of the operating arm in said one direction to thereby enable a striker to be moved rapidly into the striker receiving channel and into latched engagement with the latch assembly without causing pivotal movement of the operating arm if the striker engages the first surface and thereby causes the latch arm to pivot out of the path of travel followed by the striker in moving into the striker receiving channel; biasing means for biasing the latch arm to apply torque thereto for pivoting the latch arm in said opposite direction of rotation, and for utilizing the lost motion connection means to transfer from the latch arm to the operating arm said torque applied by the biasing means to pivot the operating arm in said opposite direction and to thereby bias the stop engageable formation toward engagement with the second stop formation; and, means for defining on the operating arm at a location spaced from said axis at least one connection formation for receiving an application of torque to the operating arm for rotating the operating arm in said one direction of rotation to drive the latch arm in said one direction of rotation to pivot the hook-shaped formation of the latch arm to position the second surface so that it does not block withdrawal of the striker from the striker receiving channel to thereby unlatch the latch mechanism from retainingly engaging the striker.